Alexei Lvov

Alexei Fyodorovich Lvov (; 5 June 1798 – 28 December 1870) was a Russian composer, best known for the composition of the imperial-era Russian national anthem, God Save the Tsar. Biography Lvov was born into a family which was very interested in music. He was the son of Feodor Petrovich Lvov, who was Maestro of the Imperial Chapel in St Petersburg from 1826 to 1836 (having succeeded Bortniansky). Lvov codified the traditional Russian liturgical musical style called “Obikhod,” which is the standard repertory of most Russian Orthodox churches in the world. It is a simple style. These melodies were later edited and improved by Bakhmetev. Alexei Fyodorovich began violin lessons at a very young age and performed regularly in concerts given at his home: for instance, at 9 he was the soloist in a performance of a violin concerto by Viotti. Although he had a number of teachers in his youth, from the age of 19 onwards he began to study independently, seeking to develop his own personal style through careful attention to the works of such celebrated violinists as Corelli, Tartini, Viotti, Kreutzer and Rode. He nevertheless continued to study composition formally under the supervision of I. G.